Odisha train tragedy: PM lauds govt response, assures stern action against guilty

Priya Ranjan Swain Published On : Jun 3, 2023 at 6:17 PM

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said stern action will be taken against the persons found guilty in connection with the tragic railway mishap in Odisha that had killed 261 passengers and injured 1,000 others.

The Prime Minister made this statement immediate after meeting the injured passengers at Balasore District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). Railway Minister Aswini Vaishnaw and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accompanied the Prime Minister to the hospital.

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“I am saddened by the horrendous railway accident in Odisha. We have directed for a proper inquiry into the incident. We will not spare the guilty,” added the Prime Minister.

Modi also thanked the Odisha government and the Indian Railways for their prompt action to rescue the injured passengers of the mishap.

“I am grateful to the locals of Balasore who came forward to assist in the rescue operation and donate blood for the injured passengers,” he said.

The Prime Minister further said the Railway Authorities will review the passenger safety system in Indian trains and take appropriate steps to avoid similar incident in future.

Earlier in the day, Modi visited the accident site near Bahanaga railway station and enquired about the mishap from senior officials. He also inspected the damaged coaches.

The Prime Minister had landed at Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Bengal in a special plane from New Delhi. He then reached the accident site in an IAF chopper at 3.40 pm.

As many as 261 passengers were killed and 1,000 others injured in the mishap that occurred yesterday evening, sources said.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and many other leaders had earlier visited the spot and inspected the rescue operation.

Notably, the accident involving Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train is one of the biggest mishaps in India in the recent past.